Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
The US has a constitutional amendment that requires the state to not endorse a religion. We in Canada don't. My experience growing up in a area that was quite anti-Catholic was that public schools pushed the Protestant version of Christianity. We recited the Protestant version of the Lord's prayer, read from the King James Bible and in junior high the entire school was taken to a showing of "The cross and the switchblade" complete with Baptist ministers to receive our conversion to Jesus. (This was in public school in the 60's and 70's in Canada). Also the Christmas concert was a nativity recreation and non stop Christmas carols which, during Advent, as a Catholic I found unusual.
ReplyDeleteNow at my son's school the Winter concert is a combination of themes. There are Christian carols including a student rearrangement of an old Danish carol, but also songs from the traditions that are more inclusive, Jewish, Muslim, native, etc. I find this much more enjoyable and comfortable.
Michael: I have no issue with what you wrote since you are open to seasonal music, be it religious or secular. The folks who are described in the article are not nearly as open-minded as you since they are doing their best to wipe every and all vestige of religious expression from the public square.
DeleteFr. Tim